Tech Thursdays: Salvation from the Tech Invasion
 06/30/04
These days, whether we like it or not, designers need more and more diverse understandings to handle the crazy array of technologies that goes into our products. With that in mind, we give you Tech Thursdays. Inspired by the reaction to our fuel cell rundown, every Thursday will now include a self contained rescue package of technology. We'll do the research and package it in a fun (and hopefully useful) story so that you all can start making like crazy. If you have any requests, operators are standing by (submit(at)idfuel.com).
PVC You Later
06/30/04
In another stunning blow to the idea that lone designers can't make huge waves in environmental policy, global giant Shaw Carpeting announced that it will no longer use PVC in the manufacture of it's carpet backing. They have moved to a system using EcoWorx, a recyclable carpet backing introduced in 1999. And who is behind this paradigm shift? None other than Mr. Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough himself. This sultan of sustainability has, through his philosophies shown Shaw that consumers, when properly educated about the benefits (primarily health) of a product, can choose the environmentally stable choice. Shaw will not only use the Ecoworx material, which is endocrine-neutral, and non-toxic, but will take back all carpeting at the end of it's life to be fully recycled. This closed loop is the halmark of the Cradle to Cradle Sustaining process. For more info on PVC and its problems, check this out.
So think, if one architect can effect a Birkshire-Hathaway mega-corp like Shaw, imagine what you can do in your little niche.
Mama Don't Take My Photochrome Away
06/29/04
Photochromic inks are nothing new - Transitions lenses have using them to darken in sunlight since 1994. But a new desire for interesting surface properties in designs means that these inks are enjoying a surge in popularity. Front Design uses them to create sunlight morphing wallpaper, while use of the ink in T-shirts and thread and plastics is happening as well. This technology is great for products which have different directions when used indoors or out, as the directions can be printed twice on the same spot, once with UV reveal ink, and once with UV invisible. Only one set of instructions will be visible at any one time. Another reason for the growth of this technology, is the creation, only a few years ago of robust, inexpensive (cheap enough to be used in toys for crying out loud) near-UV LED lamps. These can be used to "write" on surfaces painted with the inks, or to alter the color of a part of a design. Up until now, most applications of these inks were passive, having to do with safety, and the sun. But now, with these cheap light sources, amazing possibilities exist in making designs that switch visual "flavor" quickly and easily. Off the top of our heads: change the paint job of an object to match its function. Maybe it's got two modes, a funny one and a serious one, and needs polka dots to be funny. Or maybe some of the buttons don't work in one mode, so why not make their labels invisible. Crazy.
Anti-Inspiration
06/29/04
We want IDFuel to ignite and inspire the creativity of designers everywhere. We do not want a repetition of what happened in the 1970s to styling. It is because of this that we showed you the atrocity that was the Popeil Trash Compacting Stool.
Now, in this same spirit, we ask that you take this link as a warning of what depths bad design can sink to. Please, please do not be inspired. For all our sakes.
Fueled by Boing Boing
Really Pervasive Wireless
06/29/04
The discussion of an earlier post got us thinking. Wireless networking hardware has gotten super small; why don't we just put a tiny little wireless hub in most of our electronic devices so that we can make a totally connected, shared network? Well, it looks like meshcube beat us to it. They sell a tiny hub/rebroadcaster that can link with bunches of other "cubes", and pass signals through that local network until they get to a web-connected device, where they get sent. The resulting "mesh network" is very robust, and lets you max out your bohemian desires by sharing your wifi with as many people as possible. So, when can we see one of these in our toaster and iron?
A Real Sweat Shirt
06/29/04
Recent strings of deaths in American football and youth sports have raised awareness of the importance of hydration management, but little progress has been made in keeping tabs on hydration levels. A new football(soccer to you yanks) shirt, designed by Northumbria University student David Evans, hopes to change that.
The jersey uses standard ECG pads to measure heart rate of an athlete, in addition to monitoring sweat production, to gauge dehydration level. This information is sent through a wireless connection to the team's bench, where a trainer or coach can keep track of each player's hydration and exertion levels, and get a good approximation of their fatigue during games.
While sport science is an obvious first step for this technology (lots of funding), the possibilities are wide open. The introduction of small wireless networking technology has made these applications even more possible. What could a bio-status monitor do for formal wear? Or, what about pajamas - maybe your shirt checks for the moment you wake up, and cues the coffee. Or come on, there must be something more interesting than that.
More information on intelligent fabrics can be found at the Intelligent textile initiative.
No-Fi if You Like
06/28/04
With WarDriving (and even WarKayaking) and Corporate Espionage becoming bigger and bigger problems, the heat has been on to develop systems or materials to allow selective access to wifi systems. Now, UK defense contractor BAE Systems has developed a membrane which blocks wifi signals. The membrane can be applied to walls and flat surfaces, and comes in passive and active varieties. The active materials can switch on or off transmission of signals, so that an office building can re-configure its networks on the fly.
Like any architectural material, this stuff is asking to be used in products. Imagine the potential for use in personal items, like a wifi umbrella that allows you to selectively block access to sketchy users of your access point. Or maybe including it in decorative panels, like the Panton panel lamp which not only beautified a room, but kept your sister from snooping on your machine. In any case its a cool material to keep in mind for your designs.
One Granny's Coat is Another Hipster's Boots
06/28/04
Many designers have dreamt of doing totally sustainable design, but most are frustrated by how unenthusiastic the public is about the idea. Many eventually fall into the standard of "Hey, you've got to make a living". Mariouche Gagne is not one of them.
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Re-thought: Combination locks
06/24/04
How many times have combination locks been fundamentally re-invented since their creation in 1857? Probably close to zero. Sure, there have been mechanical improvements, and they've become cheaper to manufacture, but the user interaction with the locks has remained the same for almost 150 years. So, if someone announced that they'd re-invented the combination lock, and that their innovation was to allow total strangers to open the lock easily, you would call them crazy.
Or, you could call them Samsonite. They recently released a series of locks called Travel Sentry, which, through a partnership with the TSA, can be opened by security workers using a coded key. This allows users to get the piece of mind that they want from a lock, without the frustration of having it clipped to be searched. To develop this new, valuable product, Samsonite had to re-think what a lock was; was it an object, or something else. And their discovery that a lock is an idea of security allowed them to create a lock that can still fulfill that need, while being useable in airports. What could this kind of re-think do for backpacks? toothbrushes? How about your product?
The Oldest Books
06/22/04
If you read Umberto Eco's thoughts on the need for preserving books and libraries the other day, then you might be interested in a look at The 10,000 Year Library, a proposal by Stewart Brand.
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Does this phone match my jeans?
06/22/04
We've been promised wearable mobile phones for years now-- countless concepts keep surfacing, but nothing notable has made it past the concept stage and into mainstream acceptance as of yet. What's the hold up? Electronics trends keep pointing that direction-- earpieces for cell phones have become extremely pervasive, phones keep getting smaller and more powerful, and the need for constant and seamless connectivity is constantly on the rise.
Well don't give up yet-- Business Week reports that "Wearable cell phones will start making their way into the U.S. over the next 12 months -- and by 2007, 20% of U.S. cell-phone users will likely be donning haute couture phones..." Is this prediction another case of bright-eyed optimism or is the general public truly ready to accept wearable phones? In this author's humble opinion, wearable phones will never truly 'take over' the traditional cell phone, but will more likely augment and compliment the main unit, which is gradually transforming into a wireless computer... that also happens to make phone calls.
Hehe Lighting
06/21/04
Hehe is a group of experimental lighting designers (geez, who isn't these days?) based out of France. They create light pieces that interface the organic human world with the bitwise electronic one using innovative interactions. Hand motions control lighted bricks. Air currents appear as waves of light. It's a neat trip, check it out.
Composite High
06/21/04
Apparently, all those years that you thought there just wasn't enough oxygen in planes, you were right. Aluminum hulls aren't strong enough to maintain atmospheric pressure at altitude; the result is headaches, dehydration, and nausea. But never fear, Boeing's new 7E7 will have the highest internal pressure of any commercial airliner, thanks to it's composite construction. Check out the story to see the other benefits that composites bring to the new plane. The 7E7 is a wonderkind in a whole bunch of different areas; from
interior design to an electric starter and control system. The Dream Liner is set to be a wild (comfortable) ride.
Money Money Money MON-ey...MONEY
06/21/04
With all sorts of new graduates angling for jobs, Coroflot's 2003 salary survey couldn't come at a better time. We checked out the numbers, and found them to be perfectly accurate:
Entry level product designer : $42,750
Entry level toy designer : $Less
Entry level design blog writer : $hah
Well, at least we know what we could be making.
A Little More Information
06/20/04
There's recently been some talk of developing massive user-contributed databases of camera-phone images linked to GPS data. The result would be a virtual visual map, with the possibility, with image recognition, of searching. Seamless San Francisco, Barcelona, and London are already partway there. If you're interested, check out how it could be done. This project shares commpn threads with lots of current graduate design work, like Revurb, a GPS audio note tool.
Can't Get No Concentration
06/20/04
The Isophone is rather extreme example of designers responding to the increasing presence of cell phones and their detrimental effect on concentration. Users are suspended by a floating helmet on the surface of a pool of water. Users claim they've never concentrated so hard on a call before. More normal Ideo's experimental range of phones was only slightly less bizarre, but equally fun. More realistic attempts have been made by businesses using old phone booths, and by designers who have made made new ones.
Ominous by Design
06/20/04
Have you ever wanted your design to scare people without the knowing why? No? Well, you can now anyway, with Infrasound. Basically just extremely low frequency sound, which is inaudible, but still perceived by humans, it is responsible for everything from tigers' fear inducing power to birds' storm predicting ability. Some scientists believe it's responsible for haunted houses. Oh, so now you CAN think of things to do with it... Car alarm? Password protection that makes unauthorized users see ghosts? Go to town.
I Remember Now...
06/20/04
Have you ever thought about the way that objects can store memories? Sure, our contemporary world is dominated by electronic memory, and paper memory, there are lots of other ways to store information for future generations. Italian writer and historian Umberto Eco has given a really interesting dissertation on the subject. He discusses the difference between literary and geographic memory, and why it is important to preserve facilities for each in our modern world. It's pretty academic, but it could be interesting to anyone developing designs which work in conjunction with long-lived information, like database kiosks and new products to help people interact with their stored images and files.
Knock Knock Knock-Offing on Heaven's Door
06/18/04
The LA Times has really insightful article(free, worthwile registration) on the rampant design piracy going on in the furniture business these days. The article points out that with the ease of sending images or digital models of furniture to China, and with such quick turnaround times, copying existing designs has become the norm for many furniture manufacturers. While licensed re-manufacturers like Vitra still pay royalties to the designers who originated their products, the general public does not know that this is how such designers make a living, so they are ill informed to make a good decision when they see a $30 knock-off of an Eames chair next to the real thing for much more. The audacity of the copying is sometimes unbelievable. While a good heavy duty intelectual property protection plan is an important thing for designers to think about, it is more important, and potentially more effective to educate the general public on the benefits of buying real design. Namely, endless copying of catalogue pages leads to a pretty monotonous world. Spice it up, support original designers!
Mass Transit for Real
06/17/04
"Mass" transit doesn't have to mean "pain in the ass" transit, at least if these enterprising visionaries get their way. All three of these companies propose PRT, or personal rapid transit systems that use networked computerized travel pods to take some of the "mass" out of mass transit, and give a more personalized experience.
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Africa Back in the Haus
06/17/04
Here's something you don't hear every day. Recently, Marcel Breuer's first piece of furniture done at the Bauhaus, presumed lost for the last 80 years, was recovered, and will be exhibited at the Bauhaus Museum until October 24th. Previously, the only record of the African Chair was a black and white photograph. The chair's vibrant colors and colorful uphostery stand in stark contrast to Breuer's later works, and no clear purpose of the chair is known. Some believe it was a symbolic love token to Gunta Stölzl, a fellow Bauhaus designer, while others believe it was used by the Bauhaus director as a "throne". Whatever the truth, it's nice to have it back.
Get Your Yap On
06/17/04
Anyone in NYC this month should check out the Creative Crossfire sponsored by New York's IDSA chapter and Design Within Reach. It's at the DWR studio in SoHo, and this month's speakers are Judy Wert of Wertco.com, recruiter to the creative community, and Eduardo Braniff, content director of Imagination Group. They and other design gurus will discuss the pros and cons of “Peaking Out”— Apparently, a new trend where creatives leave their industries and leap sideways into other fields. RSVP to soho@dwr.com by Saturday, June 26 if you want to go. It sounds like a great time for anyone who's interested in multi-industry or cross industry design. We can't go, but if you do, and hear something interesting, let us know.
Finish With a Bang
06/15/04
If you're tired of wood and forest products for your furniture designs, but you're still interested in a more organic surface, take a look at Gage Vertical Surfacing. They supply finished sheet metal to architects and contractors. Most of it is used in elevator and column decoration, but the finishes are so unique that they'd be great as an accent in modern furniture, or even as a part of a re-interpretation of a classic style. They can work with a variety of metals, platings, and surface protections. You'll probably need a pretty big order to be able to work with these guys, but if you're going for a similar look in a small production run (like the pieces for one bar) try a local custom cycle shop and see if they've got someone who's handy with a grinder and wirebrush.
The Millenials
06/15/04
Yesterday Fred Dust of IDEO gave one of the NeoCon 2004 keynote lectures, in which he delivered an insightful overview of the "next generation that will reshape our interior environments in a big way"... the Millenials.
Defined (loosely) as those who were born between 1980 and 2000, the oldest are have already entered the workplace and the youngest will be tomorrow's hottest new hires. Using IDEO's research findings, Fred created an accurate snapshot of this generation's unique work-habits, life-balance, and relation to technology. Wheras 'Gen-X' grew up with computers; the Millenials are growing up with pervasive mobile computing, which has drastically redefined their social norms. New kinds of etiquette have formed, such as 'dynamic scheduling'-- it's no longer rude to be late, as long as you are in constant communication via mobile phone or text messaging. Even when in the actual presence of others, it is not uncommon for the mobile phone to be of equal (or greater) importance. Fred saw this as a sign that this generation may be the first to see successful distance collaboration in a work context. Another observation is the 'total blur' the Millenials form between work & life. This generation is very good at multitasking and prefer to blur fun and work, and are able to tune out distractions when necessary. An example was given of an arcade that is concurrently used for doing homework-- and the students are able to segue from Trigonometry to Dance Dance Revolution (and back) seamlessly. A final trend to note is the emergence of 'evolved abilities'-- millenials have highly developed abilities in information management. Their abilities in non-linear thinking allow them to process multiple tasks at once and their comfort with technology allows them to expand their skill sets with ease.
Fred delivered an inspiring keynote that called out some important cultural phenomenon’s that will fully take root in the coming years. Although the lecture was delivered in an office interiors context, the trends are quite applicable across the board from technology to culture. The Millenials are here. Resistance is futile.
Coffee Table? Yes. Coaster? We think not.
06/15/04
In case blowing $200 on a 'Used & new' book isn't really in your budget these days, you'll be happy to learn that George Nelson's 1977 classic "How To See" is being reprinted exclusively for DWR (for a considerably lesser price tag). The 160-page book, fully illustrated by photographs from Nelson's personal archives, features fifty essays that explore and interpret various features of the man-made, everyday environment. It's a great reminder to pick up that camera more often and look differently.
 Humansys: Freaking Scary Bathtubs
06/15/04
Humans have a highly developed sense of "rightness". Not the Republican variety, but the ability to distinguish health and normalcy, particularly in other humans, and human-like things. Evolutionarily advantageous though it may be, this ability gets us into trouble when we see things that are "almost human". Very drunk people, twitching corpses, and CG actors all make us feel slightly uneasy, because we see their "imperfect" behavior as evidence of unhealthiness, and tend to shy away. This is the same effect that makes zombies look so frightening, while skeletons are humerous. Masahiro Mori was a psychologist in the late 70's studying human reactions to humanoid robots, and he performed studies to quantify the effect of what he called the "Uncanny Valley". Dave Bryant has written an interesting, and highly useful synopsis of Mori's work. This research is useful, for more than making things which are supposed to mimic humans more believable; When making things which are supposed to have human traits, like furniture, or consumer products, it is important to understand these effects, in order to keep your products from making people uneasy. All those bathtubs with claws - gives us the willies just writing about it.
Jawbone's Connected to the Sweet Tooth
06/14/04
In this age of increasing cellphone use, and no sign of decreasing ambient noise, anyone can imagine the consequences. Enter, the Jawbone bluetooth headset. This device analyses vibrations of the jaw and facial bones, as well as ambient noise, to filter extraneous muddle from the voice of the user. This technology borrows from bone conducting hearing aids, which actually send sound to the ear through bones in the skull. And, unbelievably, the same technology found it's way into candy in 1999 in Pop Radio, a lollipop what played music through your teeth and jaws when you bit it.
Fit to be Thai-ed
06/14/04
Chopsticks may not be your forte, but any designer worth his stuff can appreciate this saucy little number from Thailand. These folding Thai hats give great sun protection (except to bald men; the hole in the center needs work) while keeping an easily stowable profile. Here's another in a more modern white. We see chairs, bowls, dresses; you name it, this little mechanism is great for it. So go to it fuelers - jump on the opportunity.
Get Out Your Marshmallows
06/14/04
Last call for all Bonfire entries kiddos. We were having some E-Mail troubles over the weekend, and things are still shaking themselves loose. If you have an entry to submit, or have not received a confirmation E-Mail for receipt of your entry, please send it again, to Dmuren(at)sbcglobal.net. If you didn't get to pre-register, just send them on in, there's room in the boat for everyone. We'll round them all up, and should have the judging done in a week or so. Until then, get psyched to the next Bonfire, which will be announced shortly; we can't say much, but it may involve nature, or weddings...or something totally different. Thanks to everyone who entered, and sorry for any troubles.
New Shine on Noguchi
06/13/04
The Isamu Noguchi Museum in NYC has been renovated, and it's all a-sparkle. Their permanent collection covers the sculptor's whole life, from his early works like My Arizona, made while he was held in a California internment camp during World War Two, to later work, like The Well. The breadth of his study of form is really interesting to look at; when you see only the table in every design book, it's easy to assume all his work was like that. Lucky for us, there's lots more.
We Revive the Radio Star
06/13/04
If you're a little lost on where to find your radio soul, be sure to check out Sarah Lowrey's transistor radio collection. she's been collecting since she was little, and now has over 1000 units, all categorized. We're absolutely in love with the Panasonic Panapet, and Toot-a-Loop. The Arvin 9574P is also cute, if you ever need a radio that masquerades as a handbag. And lets pray that sheerform styling never comes back.
Call to Arms Against Monotony
06/13/04
Mark Delaney at Icon has a well written rebuke for the consumer electronics industry. Silver is definitely the new black. If you don't know what he's talking about, check out the sacred temple of contemporary home audio. When did we decide that the most important function of a receiver was to display as many functions as possible while keeping sterility paramount? Can't design still be about fun and meaningful interactions with electronics? We can't imagine someone using Noguchi's Radio Nurse without remembering the experience. The past two decades have been focused so hard on "high fidelity" and then digital sound, and now... Well folks, you can only improve sound quality up to what people can perceive, and we're pretty sure we're there. Stereos don't need more brains; they need souls.
e=motion Commotion
06/11/04
Take a quick look at the e=motion. You’ll only get a quick look, because the e=motion is expected to break the electric world land record of 245mph, with an expected speed of around 300mph. The team was scheduled to test in Tunisia Wednesday, June 9th, but canceled because of unsafe conditions. We’re looking forward to seeing the results, but till then, we can only daydream about driving down El Rodeo Dr. in the e=motion. It might turn some heads, especially when the parachute deploys.
Take the Weekend
06/11/04
Alright, we know you're workin' like a dog on those finishing touches for your Bonfire entries. And we wouldn't want you to loose any sleep over us, so we're going to pull one of those maneuvers you prayed for in school. Yes, Bonfire #1's entry deadline is being extended over the weekend. The new due date is Monday June 14th. And if you missed the registration deadline, don't sweat it; just send your entry on in. Remember to include your description and jpegs, and to send them to bonfire1(at)idfuel.com. Please keep the size below 450K, and send only one image per e-mail. And good luck.
In a World Run By Robots
06/10/04
...These would be the jokers. The third annual Artbots, robotic talent show is primmed to scribble, clank, and annoy Harlem, NYC September 17th-19th. Like any talent show, the students range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and some make you wonder how they ever passed the IQ test for public school. But, just as teachers told you at Gubser Elementary, all robots are special in their own way. Right.
Yamaha on a Budget
06/10/04
Anyone who has gazed longingly at Yamaha's motorcycles, but never had enough green for a real one should check out Their collection of paper motorcycle models. These PDF documents are designed to be printed and cut out of cardstock, then folded and glued into tiny Motorctycles for your tiny-motorcycle-riding fantasies. We're only partway through ours, but it's looking great.
If You Drop a Digital File...
06/10/04
Does it break? Dr Jun Rekimoto and his team at the Sony Interaction Laboratory have developed a system using handheld computers and a digital pen which allows users to transfer files by "picking them up and dropping them" using the pen. Their physical drag and drop system is another development in the budding field of physical computing. These physical systems for interacting with data are growing more and more important as information gets denser and more complicated to manage.
Linoleum Might Not Be What You Think
06/10/04
Linoleum. Fabled floor covering of the 60's right? PVC, giant flower prints, that sort of thing? Guess again. Vinyl flooring is so 20 years ago. Real Linoleum is back with a vengance. Frederick Walton patented linoleum in England in 1863. It's made of linseed oil from flax mixed with powdered wood or cork, ground limestone, resins, drying agents and pigments, all affixed to a backing of jute fiber. The result is durable, non-allergenic, safe for people with chemical sensitivity, and available in myriad colors. Marmoleum is one manufacturer, as is Armstrong. Linoleum even finds use as inlay in furniture.
The Beauty Below
06/09/04
More and more often, we are reminded that gorgeous design can happen anywhere. Even in the sewer. German based IBAK makes industrial mobile robots that travel through sewers and inspect for damage like cracks, calcium deposits, and invading tree roots. Panoramo is the most recent addition to their line of inspection robots, and uses image unwrapping software to display the inside of a cylindrical pipe in a 2 dimensional plane. Beyond this, Panoramo is just an uber-beautiful piece of machinery.
The Rose City Calls
06/08/04
PDX/DNA, Portland, Oregon's nacent design festival is seeking entrants. The festival hopes most to draw participation from big shots like Adidas and Nike, but all designers in the area are welcome to pile on in. Last year's show was something else, and we can't wait to see what this one turns up.
Free Ain't Bad
06/08/04
This month, a special edition of MIT's Journal of Industrial Ecology is available free, and in full. Articles discuss everything from bio-based materials to environmentally responsible paper. A great place to get up to date on sustainable technologies.
Built In (spiration)
06/08/04
Ever feel like your work environment is bringing you down? Your office building crammed with cubicles isn’t summoning the star designer within you? Maybe you should point your boss to the likes of Lemo, VW, Vitra, Nike and a growing number of other companies that have found the connection between beautiful workspaces and the quality of what happens inside.
Un-furiatingly Child Safe
06/08/04
Had enough with those pesky Orange pill bottles that it seems every infant can handle, but you can't? Faraday Packaging's innovative pillboxes may be just the ticket. Rather than being physically difficult, like previous designs, these are cognitively difficult for children, requiring multiple actions, and co-ordinated movements to open the bottles.
Big Brother? Big Blunder
06/08/04
Designers have recently had the option to add protective features like proprietary file formats and fingerprint recognition chips to their designs. Now the RIAA wants copyright control fingerprinting for song licenses. But is it all for nothing? Some experts believe that no digital rights management solutions are safe from the tireless noodling of hackers. And they have good reason; recently gummybears and even silly putty were used to foil fingerprint readers! Copy protection is sure to be fertile ground for designs in the coming years.
Take a Break From Design
06/07/04
If you are, dare we say, burned out on usability, why not take a break and jump into Chindogu, the Japanese art of nonsense invention. First created by Kenji Kawakami, a Japanese humorist, these designs must fulfill rigorous standards; according to the first 3 tenets of Chindogu, all designs must exist, be for no real use, and embody the spirit of anarchy. Sounds pretty good huh? Check out Maywa Denki, a Japanese co-op of fellow "creators". Or, try The International Chindogu Society.
Fueled by Boing Boing
Light My (Pants On) Fire
06/07/04
If you just couldn't make it to Milan's 2004 Salone Internazionale del Mobile [translation: Sexiest Furniture Fair Ever] this April, then you're probably 'bummed' about missing the world premiere of Frank O. Gehry's new SuperLight chair. Manufactured by Emeco, the famous Pennsylvanian crafters of the 1006 Navy Chair, SuperLight weighs in at only 6.5 lbs. and subtly sways and shifts with the sitter. Also premiering in Milan was an Eames Demetrios film about the design process of SuperLight. Lucky for you crazy Chicagoans, you can check out both chair and film next week at DWR's Chicago Tree Studio. Gehry won't be there, but E.D. and Gregg Buchbinder (of Emeco) will be providing "an enlightening evening." If you check it out, tell us about it!
The Calm Before the Storm
06/07/04
This is the final week of the first IDFuel Bonfire, and there's still time to register. And let us tell you, we can't wait to see what you guys came up with to combat the ridiculous lines at the Philadelphia Airport. For anyone working feverishly to get their entries ready, make sure you double check the entry requirements to make sure you have everything. And have fun out there kiddos.
And, to commemorate this occasion, we've added permalinks below all stories for your linking enjoyment. So link away.
Flat Ship; not Flat Lined
06/07/04
Who said user-assembled flat ship design had to be shoddy? Certainly not us, and most definitely Material Furniture, the cute, edgy new furniture design shop in Portland Oregon. Material makes durable, functional, and luckily, vibrant designs out of birch plywood for the home. Their stuff assembles in minutes with no ridiculous screw fasteners, and it's built to stand up to time. Because, isn't it more Unboring to have a bed that will last for 10 years without breaking with you in it? Check them out.
Old Country Makes New Design
06/07/04
Ever since Ron Arad brought Israeli design in to the spotlight, the number of innovative and quirky furniture and product designs being created in Israel has continued to increase. Recently, a show at Fellissimo in New York during the ICFF was the talk of the town. Some examples of the great work coming out of Israel can be see at Raviv Lifshitz's studio, or in Tal Gur's Lighting. Design Boom has a photo gallery of more Israeli Designers, and you can find another article here.
One word: Atari
06/04/04
Atari's industrial design was way ahead of it's time in the 70's and 80's, and they had some of the maddest marker rendering skills you'll see anywhere. We especially like the creative use of Vignettes for the bionics line. There are lots more sketches of pc concepts but the pages are pretty messy, and there are lots of broken links. And, if you missed the post by Core two years ago, check out these arcade console sketches; the drop in figures are priceless.
Forget Rapid Proto; Try Instant
06/03/04
What do you do when you have the greatest form idea all modeled out in Rhino and you want to test it out in your hand, or make a series of form models to test in focus groups. SLA is awfully expensive for "just try out" prototypes, and you probably don't need that kind of detail. Other rapid prototyping methods are cheaper, but still fairly expensive, both in cost of time, and hardware. That's where Lamina Design comes in. This software package, in development by Paul Haeberli allows users to "unwrap" a 3D model along user-defined cut lines. The resulting shapes can be printed out, and cut with an Xacto knife, sign cutter, waterjet, CNC router, or laser cutter from any flexible material. The wood, plastic, or metal is then re-assembled according to the directions that the program also generates. The result is a cheap, fast model that is a good approximation of the original. While great for prototyping, this software has the potential to change the way modern designers like Poul Christiansen and Robert Bruno work. We want one.
Design Means Business
06/03/04
Fast Company, the quintessential "hipster businessman magazine" has always professed a belief in design as the "next big thing for business" (which any designer worth his salt could have told you is true without a subscription). In two articles in the last issue Better By Design and Masters of Design, they try to keep this image up. Most of the sweeping changes they see design causing are apparent to those in the business, but it's a worthwhile read, if for nothing else than to see how the business world views the force of design within itself. We thought it was cool that they profiled David Macaulay but Johnathan Ive might have been kind of obvious.
Crawfish Centered Design
06/02/04
UL Lafayette professor Andy Loewy and his design students have tackled the unexpected challenge of building a better crawfish trap. Crawfish farming is big buisness in Louisiana, and current traps actually let as many as 40 percent of the catch go free! The students had to contend, not only with aesthetics and useability issues, but also with extreme low cost constraints and a community of users who were unreceptive to change. If you think you can do better than these designs, you might want to start your research with this crawfish farming manual. Or you could just be glad that when designing cell phones and PC speakers, you don't have to worry about keeping your users alive underwater.
Finally, a Valid Use for Titanium
06/02/04
Good old, Ti, poster material for "Value Added" electronics has gained a dubious reputation over the past few years. Practically the only technology overused more in design contests is Bluetooth, even though the benefits gained from the metal are minimal. But now, a total of four companies - Pilkington, PPG, Asahi Glass Co., and Saint Gobain - have developed titanium dioxide photocatalytic coatings for glass which allow the glass to be self cleaning, and non fogging. The coating works with UV light to break down oils that cause dirt to build up on surfaces, while also allowing water to sheet on the glass to clean the deposits away. Check out a more in-depth explanation of TiO2's properties here. The coating has the potential to eliminates thousands of pounds of yearly phosphate load in streams from detergents used in window washing. We just want to see this as a coating for car paint and driveways. We're tired of fingerprints and oil stains.
Fueled by Core77
Update: Clip-n-Seal
06/02/04
In a follow up to our previous review of the Clip-n-Seal, we would like to say that it doesn't just look like a great idea, it actually is. The IDFuel team has tested a set of the clips for the past few weeks, and found them to be superb. We especially like having the ability to re-seal our shredded wheat against the clammy Chicago spring with a simple snap. To put it another way, if we were that lady on the Gladlock Commercial, we'd switch to clip-n-seal. But our experiences aren't the only clip-n-seal news; recently, they have branched out into new unexpected uses for the fastener. Including, apparently, coiffure. And at 4.99 for variety pack to turn any bag into a Ziploc, they're a steal!
Some Things Never Change
06/01/04
In this age of pseudo classy and mass marketed design, it's easy to think that our society is going down the tubes. But it's all happened before ...
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Ring Bling
06/01/04
According to the Las Angeles Times, Custom Class Rings are primed to explode in the market this year. Manufacturers Jostens and Artcarved both have new super-custom options for seniors from the glitzed-out Hip Hop generation. Designers can expect similar trends in other aspects of teen culture.
Bring on the Windowlickers
06/01/04
We often wonder: why do you have to wait for Christmas, or travel to New York, or Tokyo to see awesome window displays? Luckily, in this age of total data access, you don't have to. Get off the subway at Tokyo window displays to check out the hottestexhibit design in the far east. Then, drows down a few blocks to Windows on New York to gaze longingly at the best the big apple has to offer.
Fueled by Reluct
Parks Replace Police
06/01/04
A recent trend in environmental design has been CPTED or Crime prevention through Environmental Design. By laying out public spaces with the intent of maximizing publicness of areas, rather than creating sheltered groves, or high brush with poor lighting, environmental designers are trying to make design preventative without adding a ton of horrid high intensity lighting. For more information and an outline of practice, check out Durham Crime-resistant environments. It would be interesting to see if this same proposal could be applied to product design, to produce products that aren't crippled to make them safer; what if products made people act safer, without explicitly commanding?
Copyright 2004-2006
Dominic Muren and IDFuel Team
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